Work holder



March 27, 1945. w FARR ETAL 2,372,478

WORK HOLDER v Filed June 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTORS Warren )7. Farr Md Eugene]? Hawihorne March 27, 1945. w. H. FARR ErAL- WORK HOLDER Filed June 1, 1943 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 itakiima INVENTORS Warren [:LFarr and Eugenef. Hawihorne ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1945 WORK HOLDER Warren H. Farr, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Eugene P. Hawthorne, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Budd Wheel Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 1, 1943, Serial No. 489,284 7 clai s. (01. 294 s1) This invention relates to work holders of the type in which a plurality of workpieces are con-- veyed from on operating unit to another and subjected to the successive operations thereof while supported on the work holder.

In the operation of such'devices it is sometimes found that different spacing between the work'- piece centers is required at the diiferent units. For example, the center spacing for a heating furnace may be substantially'less than that for a quenching bath, a cleaning machine, or the like. An object of this invention is to provide a work holder constructed and arranged to permit vari-' able center spacing between a plurality of work supports to meet the difierent requirements of successive operating units. Y

A further object is to provide a Work holder in which either short or long centerspacing can be instantly obtained by a single adjustment accomplished during travel of the work holder 'between units.

These and other objects which will be apparent are accomplished by the present invention, one

embodiment of which is shown 'in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing a pair of work holders, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, at, differen operating stations for subjecting a plurality of workpieces suspended thereon to successive operations;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through one of the work holders shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the work supports as located in their relatively closely spaced position; v

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view on a somewhat enlarged scale showing the adjusting sleeve in ing position;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line :"i-5 of Fig. 2and,

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 5-4? of Fig. 2.

The embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration is shown in connection with such operating units as, for example, an electric heatingfurnace H for heating such workpieces as the shell forgings l2 illustrated in Fig. 1, and a" quenching tank 13, or the like, for quenching or toggle-lockone embodiment of this invention is shown as suspended from each hoist in Fig. 1. At the left, over the furnace l l, the work holder is adjusted for short spacing between the work centers, while at the right the adjustment is for long spacing therebetween.

As illustrated, the invention comprises a work supporting member 2| having horizontal arms formed by a tubular member 22 connected at opposite ends by threaded studs 23 to angular supporting brackets 24 clamped at the lower ends of tie-rods 25 which are secured at their upper ends to the opposite arms of a bracket 26 secured by the threaded shank of an I-bolt 2! to the upper end of a tubular stem 28 which forms with the horizontal arms 22 an inverted T-shaped supporting member. As illustrated, the I-bolt 21,

bracket 26, and tubular stem 28 are also welded together.

A centrally located, relatively stationary work holder in the form of a work supporting hook 29 is secured to the lower side of the horizontal tively movable hook 31 has a shank 34 extend- 34 for normally drawing the carriages 32 and the work supporting hooks 3| inwardly to the inner ends of the slots 35, the inner ends of which determine the distances between the work holders when in position for short center spacing.

Means is provided for moving the work holders 3| outwardly along the tubular member to increase the center spacing thereof and to lock them in such position against the tension of the spring 36. As illustrated, this means includes toggle links 3'! connecting the work holder carriages 32 to a toggle actuating and locking sleeve 38 which is slidably .mounted on the vertical hanger 28 of the T-shaped frame. Preferably a pair of links 31 connects each carriage with the sleeve, the links being connected to the extended ends of axles 39 on which one of the rollers 33 in each carriage is mounted and the opposite ends of the toggle links are connected to ears 4| extending downwardly on opposite sides of the sleeve 38 at the lower end thereof. Washers or spacers 42 are provided to suitably space the parts. A handle 43 is provided on the toggle operating sleeve 38 for ease in operation.

As shown in Fig. 6, relative rotation of the horizontal tubular member 36 in the supporting angle brackets 24 is prevented by the key connection 44 therebetween.

' In operation, assuming that the workpieces such, for example, as the shell iorgings I2 are to be first subjected to the heating operation of the electric furnace II which calls for rela-' tively short center spacing between the two pieces, the sleeve 38 will be raised to the position work supporting carriages 32 and hooks 3| inwardly to the inner ends of the slots 35, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 2. The work holder and work supported thereon is lowered by the hoist l6 to subject the workpieces to the heating effect of the furnace. Thereafter, the work holder is raised by the hoist l6 and transferred along the rail M to the next operational unit such, for example, as the quenching bath l3 orother suitable apparatus which requires relatively longer spacing between the work centers. During movement of the work holder from one unit to the other, this increased spacing is easily and quickly accomplished by pulling the toggle-operating sleeve downwardly, through the medium of the handle 43, to the bottom of the vertical stem 28. This spreads the links 31 forcing the carriages 33 and work supports 3| apart to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the sleeve 38 is in the lowermost position, the ears to which the inner ends of the toggle links 31 are connected are positioned below a straight line connecting the opposite ends of the links, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This looks the toggle against the tension of the spring 36 and holds the work holders in the position of greater spacing necessary for treatment in the unit l3. In like manner, the work holders can be quickly returned to close spacing by lifting the sleeve 38 to break the toggle lock and permit the spring 36 to draw the work holders inwardly to the inner ends of the slots 35 and yieldingly hold them in such position.

Although a specific embodiment of this invention has been described in detail it will be al parent that the invention can be variously modified and adapted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A work support for a plurality of workpieces comprising a work supporting member, relatively movable work holders mounted on said member. and toggle means for both relatively moving said holders on said member to vary the spacing therebetween and for locking said work holders in predetermined spaced position.

2. A work support for a plurality of workpieces comprising a work supporting member, a plurality of work holders slidably mounted on said member, means for .vieldingly biasing said work holders towards each other to yieldingly hold them in relatively closely spaced positions, and means including toggle arms for shifting said holders apart to locate them in relatively spaced positions and for locking them therein.

3. A work support for a plurality of workpieces comprising horizontally extending arms and a vertical stem, a plurality of work holders slidably mounted on said arms, means for yieldingly biasing said work holders towards each other, toggle links connected to said members, and a toggle actuating sleeve slidable along said stem for operating said links to spread said holders apart and lock them in separated position, and to unlock said links to permit said spring to move said holders inwardly to predetermined position.

4. A work support for a plurality of workpieces comprising horizontally extending tubular arms, work supporting carriages slidably mounted on said arms, a spring extending through said tubular arms and connected to said carriages for drawing said carriages inwardly to predetermined position, means limiting the extent of inward movement of said carriages, and means for shifting said carriages outwardly against the tension of said spring to predetermined spaced positions and for locking said carriages in such spaced positions.

5. A work support for a plurality of workpieces comprising horizontally extending tubular arms and a vertical stem, work supporting carriages slidably mounted on said arms on opposite sides of said stem, a spring extending through said tubular arms and connected to said carriages for drawing said carriages inwardly to predetermined position, means limiting the extent of inward movement of said carriages, and means for shifting said carriages outwardly against the tension ofv said spring to predetermined spaced positions and for locking said carriages in such spaced positions, including a sleeveslidable on said stem and toggle links connecting said carriages and said sleeve.

6. A work support for a plurality of workpieces comprising horizontally extendin tubular slotted arms and a vertical stem, work supporting carriages movable along said arms on opposite sides of said stem, a spring extending through said tubular armsand connected to said carriages for drawing said carriages inwardly to predetermined position, means on said carriages engaging the slots in said arms for limiting the extent of inward movement of said carriages, means for shifting said carriages outwardly against the tension of said spring to predetermined spaced positions and for locking said carriages in such spaced positions including a sleeve slidable on said stem and toggle links connecting said carriages and said sleeve, a hanger secured to the upper end of said stem and tie rods connecting said hanger to the outer ends f mechanism interconnecting said holders, said linkage mechanism being arranged first to relatively move said holders to the other of saidpositions against the opposition of said resilient means and then to lock said holders against return movement by said resilient means.

WARREN H. FARR. JBUGENE P. HAWTHORNE. 

